When To Avoid Drinking?

In certain situations and among particular population groups, alcoholic beverages should be avoided:

• For children and young people under 18 years of age, not drinking alcohol is the safest option.
• For women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, not drinking is the safest option.
• Former alcohol-dependent individuals or those with a family history of alcohol dependence.

In some situations, not drinking is the safest option; this includes:

• at the workplace,
• when taking part in recreational or occupational activities that require a high level of attention, psychomotor skills, and concentration (e.g., driving, water activities, operating heavy machinery, etc.)

A range of individuals may need to seek professional advice about drinking because of the possibility of interactions and harmful effects; they include: anyone taking medication; people with alcohol-related or other physical conditions that can be made worse or affected by alcohol; people with mental health conditions.

Avoid drinking and driving

As with any other alcoholic beverage, the consumption of wine affects the capacity to perform certain activities, such as driving. Drinking has consequences on the driver’s psychomotor functions and vision as well as to his behaviour and attitude. The best advice is to avoid drinking alcoholic beverages if you drive. In any case, the BAC limits established for drivers should never be exceeded!

Preganant women should avoid alcohol

The consumption of alcoholic beverages in pregnant women can cause malformations of the embryo and their offspring may exhibit symptoms of foetal alcohol effects, or a collection of foetal alcohol effects called foetal alcohol syndrome; this relationship has been established for heavy alcohol consumption. A no-effect level to prevent harming the unborn child, however, has not been established. This is the reason why alcoholic beverages should be avoided during pregnancy.

Wine consumption requires maturity: underage people should not drink

Underage individuals should not drink. Young people are at particular risk of harm from excessive alcohol consumption because it interferes with their growth, nutritional status and personality development. The (negative) effects of alcohol misuse are a lot more pronounced in young people. This is due both to their physical immaturity and to psychological factors.